Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Malaysian Assam Laksa
馬來西亞亞參叻沙
Recipe overview
Cooked mackerel is flaked back into a tangy broth of tamarind, lemongrass and chilli, then ladled over rice noodles and fresh garnishes.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 800 g whole mackerel
- 400 g thick rice noodles
- 100 g tamarind pulp
- 2 litres water
- 3 stalks lemongrass
- 30 g galangal
- 120 g shallots
- 250 g pineapple
- 200 g cucumber
- 100 g red onion
- 20 g mint leaves
Curry seasoning
- 20 g, soaked dried chillies
- 1 tsp shrimp paste
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt (add to taste at the end, allowing for the fish and shrimp paste)
02
Tools
- 4-litre soup pot
- medium saucepan
- sieve
- large bowl
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- blender
- ladle
- food thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Prepare the aromatics
Bruise and cut lemongrass, slice galangal, peel shallots and drain soaked chillies.
Step 2
Blend the spice paste
Blend shallots, chillies, shrimp paste and 100 ml of the measured water to a coarse paste.
Step 3
Cook the mackerel
Add remaining water and mackerel to the soup pot, boil, then cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes until opaque and reaching 63°C.
Step 4
Flake the fish
Lift out the mackerel, cool briefly, remove skin and every bone, then break flesh into large flakes.
Step 5
Strain the fish broth
Pass the cooking broth through a sieve into a clean soup pot, discarding bones and debris.
Step 6
Cook the aromatic broth
Add spice paste, lemongrass and galangal to the broth and bring to a boil.
Step 7
Extract the tamarind
Mix tamarind pulp with a bowl of hot broth, press through a sieve and add the sour liquid to the pot.
Step 8
Simmer the soup
Add sugar, partly cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
Step 9
Return fish and season
Return mackerel flakes for 5 minutes, taste and add salt only as needed.
Step 10
Cook the noodles
Boil thick rice noodles in a saucepan according to the packet until tender with no hard centre; drain into four bowls.
Step 11
Cut the garnishes
Cut pineapple into thin batons, shred cucumber and red onion, and wash and drain mint.
Step 12
Assemble the laksa
Ladle piping-hot fish broth and mackerel over noodles, then add pineapple, cucumber, red onion and mint.
Common mistakes
- Careless flaking leaves fine fish bones in the soup.
- Unstrained tamarind adds hard seeds and fibres.
- Leaving noodles in hot broth too long makes them soggy.
- Salting before tasting the fish and shrimp paste over-seasons the broth.
Tips
Check every flake with fingertips and strain the fish broth; store noodles separately from soup and combine only when serving.
